I am proposing a third iteration of an installation that uses stacks of books as its primary medium of communication.
This development was inspired by the comments and reactions of visitors to the installation at my last solo exhibition.
The personal dilemma of stepping on a few books to get a better view of the whole.
This gave rise to a thought regarding the desire to respect the book form as a communicative, historical, empathetic and intimate force, yet at the same time we are prepared to trample on our fellow human beings or even ourselves, in terms of rights, respect, fairness and justice.
So what is really stopping you from stepping on the books?
The installation aims to ensure that visitors are forced to walk over the books to continue their tour of the pavilion. They are forced to feel uncomfortable and so, at some point – perhaps even months later – to ask themselves the question.
Our evolution stems from questions, from the discomfort we must overcome, and ultimately from knowing how to listen to one another, giving ourselves time and giving respect
Through that process – that experience of discomfort, which you encounter every day in countless other situations – you have the opportunity to rediscover those parts of yourself that are usually hidden by fear and by conflicts with people and events, which we decide it is better not to see, sweeping them under the carpet of some form of pretence.
The draft presented is a general concept designed to illustrate the structure’s layout and visitor flow. On-site, we will then assess how best to realise this concept, in terms of scale and structure, to achieve the greatest possible impact.
The floor made of books will be raised by 1–2 cm so that pushchairs and wheelchairs can also pass through the installation easily and engage with it without difficulty.
The two images shown are intended to demonstrate possible effects, created in previous solo exhibitions, where I incorporated a different concept into a similar structure.
